Illuminating-shell



H. M. BRAYTON.

ILLUMINATING sum.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 30, 1918. 1,366,555, Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

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HAROLD irone'en Beel ne nor TI-IE UNITED. STATES ARMY.

ILLUMINATING-SHELL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patqgnted Jay 25, 1921 Application filed December so, 1918., Serial No. 268,986. 7

(FILED UNDER 'rnn ACT or MARCH'3,1883, 22' STAT. n, 625.

T 0 all who-m it may'co'acera: 7

Be it known that I, l-LinoLn M. BRAYTON, captain, Ordnance Dept, United States Army, a citizen of the United States, stationed'at Frankford Arsenal, have invented an Improvement in Illuminating-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or an y or" its oilicers'or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of: any royalty thereon.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a novel form of illuminating shell, which will dispense with the use of a parachute, and which is adapted for use against aircraft and for short,'inten'se illumination. where a long illumination, such as is given by parachute star shells, would be disadvantageous. I r V Another object otthe invention is to provide a novel form of illuminating. shell whichutilizes nearly 100% of the available internal space forthe'illuminating mixture. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of illuminating shell which will be of extreme simplicity of construction and infallible in operation.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of illuminating shell which will be cheaper to manufacture than the usual-parachute star type of shell.

Other objects, relating to certain refinements in construction, goin to make up the ultimate perfection of the shellas an entirety, will appear ingthe followingspecification and the appended claims, taken in connection with the drawing.

'lVith these objects in view, the invention resides, broadly-statedQin a shell carrying preferably superposed containers, holding an inflammable illuminating material, which are ejected from the shellfin the flight thereof. 7 More specifically. considered, the -inven tion resides in a shell'of-the type indicated, embodying cups carrying-I inflammable illuminating substance, having a hole extending centrally of said body o f illuminating material, and a :primer, in; tubular form, surrounding said hole and concentric with said illuminating body. 7,

The drawing discloses an exemplary concrete embodiment of the underlying princicup, as shown.

ples ofmy' invention. Likereference characters identify corresponding parts in the two views; I

Figured isa central, vertical,longitudinal section through ashell constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2' is a cross sectional view, on the line 22, Fig. l. i I,

Referring now in detail to the drawings:

1 designates the shell, which, as usual, is a tubular body having, at its forward end, a nose 2, into which may be threaded a fuse, of any desired construction. At its rear, the shell is providedwith a base plug 3, detach ably secured thereto'by shear pins a, as usual. V H

The base plug carries a powder charge 5, in a recess 6 provided therefor. Retaining such powder against accident-ally spilling, I provide, preferably, a textile gauze disk 7 coated with a suitable varnish, such as shellac, which disk is countersunk in the inner face of the base plate, as shown.

Carried within the shell 1 is a series of preferably superposed containers, preferably cups 8, as shown, the bottomot each cupbeing centrally apertured, as at 8. The bottom of the cup nearest the base-plug 3 rests against the centrally apertured,preterably itelt washer 9, and the bottom'of the next. succeeding cup is disposed adjacent the top of the preceding cup, and so on. Desirably, a centrally apertured washer (preferablyfelt) 9 is disposed between the top of each cup and the bottom of the next Advantageously, the cups are drawn from either sheet aluminum or sheet iron, and are preferably .05" in thickness. I The cups may be suitably provided at their tops with a circumferential inturned lip .10,constituting a retainin means, with a centrallyapertured retaining disk 11 disposed beneath said lip.

Loaded into each cup 8 is a body of inflammable illuminating material 12. I ,An example of a suitable mixture of such material, in the preferred proportions, is given as follows:

Barium nitrate, 68%, by weight,

Coated magnesium, 32%, by weight.

These materials (thoroughly dried before mixing and kept well protected against the deleterious effects oi atmospheric humidity and othe? moisture between the period of mixing and loading) are loaded into the cups, as by means of a suitable die, at a suitable pressure, preferably 25,000 pounds per square inch. Said die has a rod, projecting from the baseplug thereof, which projects into the center of the cup during the loading operation, the materials thus being loaded around said rod. lVhen the rod is withdrawn, a central opening is left through the load or body of illuminating material as shown in Fi g. l.

Concentric with'the load of illuminating material in each cup is a primer 13. The primer is in tubular form, as shown, and surrounds the central opening 1%. An example of a satisfactory priming mixture, in the preferred proportions thereof, is given as follows:

Potassium nitrate, 50 9 0, by weight,

Sulfur, 25 92., by weight,

Meal powder, 25%, by weight.

The primer and the illuminating material are preferably both pressed at the same time into the cups, each cup, therefore, being loaded in one pressing, care being taken to keep the mixture flush with the top of the cup.

After a cup has been loaded, a tool, such as a drill, of the diameter of the center hole ly-l, may be passed through the hole, in order to slightly roughen the interior surface of the primer, which has a hard glaze.

Between the top of the illuminating body and primer in each cup, and the inner surface of the lip 10 may be disposed the retaining disk 11, as shown.

In the nose of the shell, adjacent the cup 8 nearest the nose, may be disposed a metal. top plate 15, preferably of steel, and between said top plate and the adjacent cup 8 is preferably disposed a felt washer 9 as shown.

In operation, when the explosive charge in the nose of the shell is exploded by the op eration of the fuse, the flame is communicated through the central opening 1 1 in the shell to the charge 5 in the base-plug Said charge 5 explodes, the flame thereof shooting up the central opening 14 toward the nose of i the shell, thus igniting in its travel, the suc-' cessive primers 13, the flame of the burning primers being communicated to the illuminating charge or load in each cup. The baseplug 3 is blown off, and the cups are successively ejected from the rear of the shell and fall comparatively slowly toward the earth while burning, owing to their relatively large surface, in' relation to their density. The shell gives an intense, light for a short period of time and is, therefore, especially adapted for use against aircraft and for short illuminations, where a long illumination. such is given by parachute stars, would be disadvantageous.

While I have, in compliance with the lievised Statutes of the United States, de-

inent in other forms.

scribed, with great particularity, a specific physical embodiment of the underlying principles of my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodi- Therefore, all such changes, modifications, and embodiments as come within the scope of the appended claims constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An illuminating shell carrying internally containers, each holding a body of illuminating material, said containers and bodies having alined apertures therethrough.

2. An illuminating shell carrying, internally, superposed cup-shaped containers, each holding a body of illuminating material, said cups and bodies having a centrallyalined opening therethrough, and, means for projecting a flame through said central opening for igniting said illuminating material. 7

3. An illuminating shell carrying, internally, superposed cup-shaped containers,

each holding a body of illuminating material, said cups and bodies having a centrallyalinedopening therethrough, and means, iiicluding an explosive charge in the base of said shell, forprojecting a flame through said centi'alopening forigniting said illuminating material.

4. An illuminating shell comprising a detachable base plate, an explosive charge carried by said base plate, superposed containers disposed internally of said shell, each container holding a body of illuminating material, said containers and bodies having an alined opening tlierethrough leading to said explosive charge, and means for igniting said explosive charge.

An illuminating shell comprising a detachable base plate, an explosive charge carried by said base plate, superposed containers disposed internally of said shell, each container holding a body of illuminating material, said containers and bodies having an alined openingtherethrough leading to said explosive charge, superposed tubular primers surrounding said opening, and means for igniting said explosive charge,

6. An illuminating shell having a detachable base plate containing a quantity of explosive material, a plurality of superposed cup-shaped containers each having an apertured base, a chargeof illuminating material in each container, a plurality of apertured disks interposed between the containers, and a tubular primer forthe charge of each container forming with said apertures a continuous passage-way communicating at one end with the explosive material; 

